Friands - little almond/berry cakes

Friands - little almond/berry cakes

You can choose your berries - I used raspberries and blueberries, but blackberries would also be good.  Make the batter a couple of hours before you bake, or even the day before.  Then when you are ready to bake all you do is put the berries, batter and jam in the moulds.  I used silicone muffin moulds, which make it easy to remove once cooled.

Ingredients

130g unsalted butter

160g caster sugar

80g ground almonds

50g plain (or gluten-free) flour

130g egg whites (3 large egg whites)

150g berries

100g Bon Maman raspberry jam

50g sieved apricot jam

50g pistachios, chopped

Method

Brown the butter by bringing it to the boil, and allow to boil fiercely for 5-8mins, stirring with a spatula.  Don't take your eyes off it! Watch carefully, and as soon as it starts to turn brown and the foam rises, tip into a bowl and leave to cool.

Put sugar, almonds and flour into a bowl and whisk to combine.  Gradually whisk in the egg whites, then the cooled brown butter.  Cover the mix and leave for 2 hours or overnight in fridge.

Heat oven to 160 (fan) or 180.

Grease mini cake moulds or muffin tin.  

Place half the fruit in the bottom of 10-12 moulds, then cover with friand mix up to one third of mould.

Put a small spoonful of raspberry jam on top and then top with the remaining batter and decorate with more fruit.

Bake for 20-25 mins and check with a skewer.

Once cooked, leave in mould/tin for 5 mins before removing to a wire rack

Warm the apricot jam and brush over the top of the friands, and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts.